Because glorifying Hitler and other war criminals lends encouragement to neo-Nazis and others who promote or engage in acts of genocide.

The Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center joins with the Simon Wiesenthal Center to condemn the fact that the Government of Italy allows a winery to glorify the images and deeds of the perpetrators of the worst mass genocide humankind has ever known.

To use the images of the gas chambers gang—Hitler, Himmler, Göring and Eva Braun—among 30 Nazi-themed labels to promote wine from Veneto, Italy produced by Vini Lunardelli is a disgrace to the decency and humanity of the Italian people. 

Mr. Andrea Lunardelli is selling 30 labels of his wine that exploit the notoriety of the Nazi Third Reich, including wine bottles bearing the legend ‘‘Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer’’ (one people, one nation, one leader) or a photo of Hitler giving a Nazi salute.

The Waffen SS oversaw the mass murders of 11 million Jews, Romani, Poles, gays, physically disabled and other civilians through the use of gas chambers, Einsatzgruppen shootings, cruel torture and starvation.  The continued sale of these Italian wines serves as propaganda and glorification for these notorious Nazis and must be stopped. 

These labels serve to turn mass murderers into notorious celebrities which undermine the purpose of Holocaust and genocide education—helping to prevent future genocides. This in turn undermines the values that bind civilized society.

We urge you to protect the honor of Italy and humankind by doing all in your power to discourage, even outright stop the sale of wine that associates a proud product of Italy with the most evil villains of history.